Electronic mail or e-mail is a digital means of communication that can send or receive messages through the Internet and other computer networks such as ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), SNDMSG and MSG.
The origin of email is in fact earlier than the Internet. In 1961 MIT established the Compatible Time-Sharing (CTSS) allowing users to log in to IBM mainframes, a form of dial up modems that store files to online disks. MAILBOX was the first email system used in Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1965. SMTP or the simple message transfer protocol was introduced but because of errors such as forgery, spam and susceptibility to viruses and worms, it had to be fixed first.
ARPANET was the first operational networks and the core of all the internet connections globally. Arpanet’s packet switching was created under the intellectual excellence designs of Lawrence Robert at the Lincoln Laboratory.
Packet switching was a brand new concept and had been the method of choice during the creation of ARPANET. The idea is of packet switching is like that of a traditional telephone circuit where communication is made between two parties that are interconnected via dedicated circuit. Data was collected into datagrams (packets) and are transmitted to the network. They found out that packet switching can be used to send and receive data in much the same way a single post does.
In previous years, the email system can only be used to send message to a number of users of the same computer. Instant messaging requires that both sender and receiver of the message are online. Today, e-mail system has a “store and forward” capability for storing, forwarding, sending and accepting massages enabling the recipient to open his account and check his mailbox for incoming messages while he’s away from his computer.
Communication becomes much faster and easier through emails. It is probably the most secured method of communication in terms of personal and business purposes compared to snail mail or fax. It is also a more convenient way to approach someone in the organization because you won’t have to go the office for applications or any business transactions.
Care should be given when communicating through email. The length of time between your responses and the tone (or tenor) of your message can be a revealing factor about your own personality.
Here are some of the email etiquette that you can use as your guide.
1. For subject. Never forget to put a subject line to your message. Make it meaningful and interesting that can draw recipients to read the whole topic.
2. For content and message length. You have to be concise and direct to the point. If your making it to long, your recipient might be bored of reading those unnecessary verbiage.
3. The message format. Never use all letters in bold that seemed to be yelling or shouting. It could be annoying to the readers and you may get an unwanted response.
4. Abbreviations and emoticons. Use abbreviations and emoticons carefully. Do not try to use these for instance, LOL (laugh out loud), BTW (by the way) and smiley in business transactions. It is not a formal command of the language and you might lose your chance in closing a deal.
5. Never use emails to talk about private matters. If there is something confidential that might humiliate others’ status, race or sex, don’t bother sending it. They might be displayed on the bulletin board for everyone to see.
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